Greenwood VFD to receive $195,287 grant

Published 7:00 pm, Friday, April 16, 2010

The Greenwood Volunteer Fire Department will receive a $195,287 grant to help purchase new equipment and fund training, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn announced Friday.

Funds from the grant will be used to purchase equipment including hoses, breathing apparatuses, communication headsets, an air refueling station and gas monitors, among other supplies, said Chief Leland Hart. Part of the money also will go toward online and local training sessions.

"It will absolutely be a tremendous help for us," Hart said. "We've needed a lot of this equipment for several years we just haven't had the money to get it."

The grant comes from the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency in cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration. Hart said they've been working with Cornyn on the grant for more than a year.

"This funding will help make sure first responders at the Greenwood VFD will have the resources necessary to keep the surrounding community safe," Cornyn said, in a statement. "We have a responsibility to support those working on the front lines every day to protect families, homes and property."

The Greenwood VFD currently has 24 members, Hart said, and runs through funding from Midland County as well as through donations that cover any extra supplies they need.

According to a release from Cornyn's office, the senator holds roundtables with emergency first responders throughout the state in an effort to identify needs like those at Greenwood's VFD.